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Wizard
|used-by = |levels = }} Wizards are a form of arcanist who learn the art of arcane spellcasting through research and learning. What wizards lack in combat prowess and armor they make up with a broad range of magical spells and abilities learned through years of practice and training. Through their spellcasting ability powerful wizards can control the battlefield, using spells that affect wide areas, often hindering enemies, while also learning to use powerful rituals of arcane power. Wizards are generally the best respected of all arcanists, since they usually have a measure of discipline that is uncommon among other arcanists, particularly sorcerers or warlocks whose very nature makes them comparatively unruly. Not all wizards are deserving of this reputation, however, and wizards can be as easily chaotic or evil as any other class. Abilities Wizards have a wide variety of powers called spells available to them, fueled by the arcane energy of the universe. A wizard's spells differ from those of other arcanists usually in terms of usage or scale. When in combat, a wizard favors spells that hinder many enemies at once, rather than attacking one or that empower themselves or allies When casting spells, wizards often use magical implements such as staffs, orbs, or wands. These implements concentrate the arcane power in a spell, increasing its effectiveness. All wizards have a degree of specialization in implements, preferring one kind over another. Some take a liking to orbs, which they use to increase the duration of their spells' effects. Others prefer using wands to enhance their accuracy or staffs to defend themselves. The most basic spells available to wizards are known as cantrips and require little skill on the part of the wizard in order for them to be cast. Such spells are typically small tricks of magic such as creating a light source, a sound, or moving a small object telekinetically. Wizards are also skilled in the use of rituals, powerful spells that require a significant amount of time and energy to cast, thereby making them impractical in battle but immensely useful in non-combat applications. As with their daily spells (spells which a wizard can only master once per day), wizards keep these rituals written in a spellbook, where each ritual takes up at least a page, with complexity and page length directly proportional to the power inherent in a ritual. Familiars A familiar is a normal animal that gains new powers and becomes a magical beast when summoned to service by a sorcerer or wizard. Spell preparation and casting Wizards cast their spells by using their acquired magical knowledge and experience. In particular, they learn most new spells by seeking out magical writings and copying them into their spellbooks, a method that allows them, unlike bards or sorcerers, to master any number of permissible spells once they find them, assembling a broad and versatile arsenal of power. Many wizards see themselves not only as spell casters but as philosophers, inventors, and scientists, studying a system of natural laws that are for the most part unknown and undiscovered. * Resting: Wizards need to rest prior to spell casting. This may be in the form of sleep or meditation. A wizard who refuses to sleep and then goes on a spell casting binge (which is not entirely impossible, but rare due to temporal allowances) will grow weary - possibly delusional - and may experience many negative health effects. * Casting: When the need calls for a certain spell to be cast, wizards will allow their thoughts to retreat back into their consciousness in order to obtain it, and it often appears that wizards are in trances while they are casting. While there is some credence to that, they are not so much entranced that they cannot recognize situations outside their subconscious. When they find the spell they want, wizards will then complete the trigger sequence. This is the common view of a wizard casting: voicing several strange words, utilizing some arcane component(such as tossing pixie dust into the air) and perhaps making some sort of quirky hand movement. In actuality every part of the sequence must be exact or else the wizard may miscast, misfire, cast an entirely different spell, or cast nothing at all. Spell Pool Combine Racial Modifier, plus the character level, plus a stat modifier (Intelligence) with Level (x5). Example: Human, level 1 Wizard with 16 Intelligence (+3) would have: Level (1x5) + 0 (human) + Intelligence (3) = 8 spell points. School specialization Wizards may specialize in one or more of eight schools of magic, choosing their specialty early on in their training. This specialization is sometimes required in order to join the ranks of some of the world's most prestigious wizards who require all initiates to be specialized in one of the schools of magic. Specialist wizards are treated and regarded as wizards by the world at large in spite of this specialization and many regard themselves as such, though sometimes distinctions are made for diviners, illusionists, and necromancers. Nonetheless, all of the following are simply considered wizard variants by the magic casting community. Wizard generalist traditions Some wizards, occassionally known as generalists, are less inclined to specialize in the various schools of magic. These individuals instead prefer to use a wide variety of spells, with no limitations on which spells they can or cannot cast other than lack of knowledge. These wizards tend to fall into a number of sub-categories, which are listed below. *Control Wizard *War Wizard *Shadow Wizard Wizard Culture The customs and culture of those who practice arcane magic are different from those in the mundane world. Category:Class Category:Arcane Magic